Deadly Ice
by Arya Daeriel
Summary: While on a simple tracking exercise, things do not go quite as planned when the exercise leads Will across a lake with a thin sheet of ice across it.


**Disclaimer: Don't own, never have, never will.**

**A/N: I'm back from my grandma's! Yes, I know I'm supposed to be updating Choices, but I just watched Seabiscuit and couldn't resist writing this! I swear I'll update Choices tomorrow. If I don't, I'll combine the next two chapters of Choices and give you an extra long chapter. Deal? *hides behind nearest piece of furniture* I'll start on it tonight. I could give you a short chapter tonight, maybe? You're going to ill me for not updating, anyway, aren't you? Okay, now let's get this story started so we can get the next chapter of Choices! Oh, and Will is still an apprentice in this fic.**

A string of curses **(1) **issued from Will's mouth after he fell for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning. He had been tracking Halt for almost an hour now and as it had snowed the night before, it was hard to keep his footing. Especially when Halt had decided to take his path across a frozen lake.

Will took a step, then another, and another. He became more relaxed as the time between now and his last fall grew larger. Then suddenly, his feet flew out from underneath him. He threw out his hands to stop his fall and heard a sharp crack. Pain shot up his arm from his right wrist and Will couldn't help but cry out slightly. He sat on the ice and cradled his wrist. It throbbed painfully and pain shot up it every time he moved it. He guessed that it was broken, but couldn't be sure.

What if it was broken? Would he ever be able to shoot his bow again? Will wanted to hit himself for thinking that. Of course he would be able to shoot his bow again! But what if he couldn't? What would he do then? He couldn't be a ranger as a bow was a ranger's deadliest weapon. What kind of ranger could he be if he couldn't shoot a bow?

Then he heard a crack, a different crack than the one from when he had fallen. Whether he would be able to shoot his bow again became the least Will's worries. The ice around him was breaking and he was in the middle. He looked to the shore and knew that he wouldn't be able to get there before it broke completely. Will could get there if he ran, but running on ice was not an easy task and he knew that getting there without falling would be virtually impossible. He had to try at least though.

Will began running, holding his injured wrist to his chest. He slipped several times, but just managed to catch himself with his uninjured hand. Cracks had appeared in the ice. Will was almost to the shore. Maybe he would be able to make it. Then the ice gave away. Will cried out in shock as the lower half of his body hit the icy water and he sunk below.

The cold water numbed him and stole his breath away. His injured wrist went numb as well and he could no longer feel the pain. Will flailed in the water and tried to swim back up to the surface, but he couldn't. The water was dragging him down. He had no breath left in his lungs, as he had let most of it out. His chest was starting to ache from lack of air, but there was none to take in! Black spots started appearing in his vision and he felt lightheaded.

So this is how he would die. Drowning in an icy lake as a ranger apprentice while tracking his mentor. How would Horace take it? And Alyss, sweet Alyss. He then felt something grasp his arm, but he hadn't the strength to fight back. Someone or something was pulling him upwards. He felt the cool air against his face, heard someone calling his name before everything went black and he knew no more.

**xxx**

Halt left a fairly easy trail, easy in his opinion that is, for Will to follow through the woods. He looked back towards the frozen lake he had crossed and became slightly worried. Maybe the lake hadn't been such a good idea. The sheet of ice covering it wasn't all that thick and if something or someone fell on it heavily, it could break. No, it would be fine. They were rangers, meant to move softly and quietly.

He had gone a small distance from the lake when he thought he heard a cry of pain on the wind. Halt listened again and heard nothing so he thought that it was just his imagination. Then about five minutes later, he heard another cry, louder this time. This time Halt knew he hadn't imagined it and that voice sounded suspiciously like Will's. It was coming from the direction of the lake.

Halt immediately ran in that direction, leaping over branches and ducking under overhanging limbs. Then his mad frenzy came abrubtly to an end. He could clearly see the frozen lake. And what he saw made his heart miss a few beats. **(2)** The ice had cracked and there was a hole near the bank. A piece of a ranger's cloak had been torn off and was fluttering in the wind at the edge of cavity. Will's cloak.

Without a moments though, Halt yanked his bow and quiver off his back and pulled off his own cloak. He had to pull Will out. He carefully slid his way over to the hole, using a technique he had happened to learn when he had visited Skandia once **(3)**. He swiftly stuck his arm into the icy water and began feeling around for Will. Being unable to find him so far, Halt leaned farther into the hole and searched deeper. Then he felt something brush his hand. Halt grabbed at it and found a hand. He immediately pulled up. Less than a minute later, Will's body was up on the surface of the ice.

"Will! Will!" Halt called to Will, but he gave no response. Halt then checked his pulse and was relieved when he found one. He hoped that Will would be alright.

**1) I don't think that Will would ever swear, but what does he say when he's frustrated?**

**2) A big thank you to RoMythe for those few sentences. They are so much better than using the word distressed.**

**3) As far as I know, this never happened. I would just think that the Skandians would know how to ice skate.**

**Okay, gotta scram because it's almost 1:00 am. Please, please review. If I get enough of them I'll update Choices sooner!**


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